#again with this being like a fucking kids book

[mrdogface]

wrote big post & deleted

So I'm a male victim of sexual violence and I've been kind of dreading getting to this storyline as a result of the fandom conversations around it, specifically because there's a weird vibe with a lot of fans of Talia al Ghul that this is bad and shouldn't have happened, Grant Morrison is a klansman, he hates Muslim women, blah blah blah.

The thing that I find bothersome isn't so much whether X or Y actually happened within the comics. My read of the Demon Trilogy (Birth, Bride and Son), is that it absolutely did, but Bruce was written according to these outmoded, toxically masculine standards of manhood at the time that characterise being assaulted as "getting lucky," or "who cares, she's hot." The reality is if the genders in that narrative were reversed we simply would not be having conversations like these, and that makes me deeply uncomfortable because I often see, both in comic book writing and in fandoms surrounding comic books, this downplay of how sexual violence affects men and whether those effects should even be considered, especially if they get in the way of conventional heteronormative sitcom-style relationship trajectories.

Nightwing incidentally has the worst of it. DC never seems to acknowledge or want to really explore that Tarantula raped him during Devin Grayson's run, something that never really has a meaningful resolution -- that storyline comes to a point where Dick is about to marry the bitch before War Games conveniently pulls him away. Tarantula ends up in prison but the sexual violence aspect seems minor compared to her breaking the Batman code and killing Blockbuster, and although Dick is upset and everything, it has more to do with the murder than the fact that he was raped. It's all extremely mishandled. Devin Grayson in interviews has also been uncertain whether she wrote a rape scene, saying shit like, "it wasn't rape, it was non-consensual sex."

But that's not what I want to bitch about. I don't really care about whether X or Y or Z happened or whether it's a retcon or whatever because when you place Batman & Son within its context after "Infinite Crisis," "One Year Later," and Talia within her context of "Death & The Maidens," this all actually fits really well as just where the characters are. Talia was Lazarus'd back into being a major villain and only a few years later we see her cordially discussing murdering children in Simone's Birds of Prey run. Bruce is now on the path to mental wellness, he's respecting himself, he's appearing in public as Brucie Wayne again, and it makes sense that he would now recontextualise what happened to him as, wait, they DID drug me and drag me overseas, try to force me to marry Talia, and then attempted to kill me when I wanted to leave -- gosh, there's a word for that, isn't there.

What I'm annoyed about is that often when this debate comes up in fandom the idea of exploring Batman as a survivor of sexual violence, something that Devin Grayson failed to do with Nightwing so spectacularly that her run is a meme in certain male survivor circles (not kidding; if you know you know), is rejected so thoroughly and dismissively. The last time I had this conversation (not a callout, ilu tumblr blogger who's username I don't remember) the person referred to it as "sexual weirdness." I see downplaying of the concept of sexual violence in forms like polite euphemisms or "it wasn't rape, it was non-consensual sex," or all kinds of other insane nonsense, all the time specifically in this conversation where the victim is male and it reflects the treatment of the issue outside of fandom and in real life.

It's like, people who want to relate to or discuss or understand the media through this lens, where Dick Grayson or Bruce Wayne are victims of sexual violence processing their thoughts and emotions regarding that in interesting, complex ways are sidelined in favour of people who really want the characters to fuck, marry and play happy families -- and this sometimes hits the point that involves outright hostility and petty, stupid reddit fights over shipping these characters. It's just a very exhausting, hostile space to inhabit.

fwiw I desire peace with the Brutalia nation and want to point out that these people do not fetishise the sexual assault of Bruce Wayne and usually ignore it instead. They are shipping a very different version of Talia with a very different version of Bruce, and I have no beef with that. James Bond Bruce Wayne and Bond Girl Talia IS cute and they are right to enjoy that.

My beef is with people who show up in the DMs to fight with you about Talia being a rapist or whatever when like, let people enjoy the canon Grant Morrison read of the storyline, Shiloh Connor. Chances are it wasn't written for you and means something important to someone else.

[flower-boi16]

Stolas' "Character Growth" of Making Amends With Blitz is Poor as Hell

Something many critics don't seem to mention when talking about Stolas' characterization in Season 2 is how the season tries (keyword tries) to have Stolas go through an arc of fixing his mistake in regards to making the deal with Blitz and, ya know, sexually abusing him. The show is acknowledging that Stolas fucked up, which means it isn't coddling him...right?

Well, this arc first gets kickstarted in Ozzie's when Blitz explicitly tells Stolas to "not pretend like anything we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you", showing to Stolas that Blitz doesn't feel the same way about him as Stolas feels about Blitz, which gives Stolas a moment to reflect on their relationship.

The Circus then shows that Stolas believed that for once, he had a genuine mutually affectionate relationship with someone, that someone being Blitzo, as Stolas felt some kind of happiness he never felt before and could never get with Stella, only to realize that it was all a lie and Blitzo doesn't feel the same way as Stolas did for him. Stolas desired genuine intamite affection and thought he had that but he didn't, and so he looks to a book to try and find Blitz an alternative so he can continue his job without staying in the deal, chosing to free Blitz.

Oops then shows Stolas going to Ozzie's place to get the Ausmodean Crystal for Blitz, and The Full Moon shows Stolas giving the crystal to Blitz, now learning to let him go, putting his own selfish desires for affection aside and reconizing what he did to Blitz was wrong and choosing to let him be free from the deal.

So...this, on paper, sounds fantastic, right? The show is making an arc of Stolas growing from his mistakes, realizing the deal is wrong and choosing to let him go while acknoweldging Blitz's mistakes right....right?????

Well...no. While this is a compelling arc in isolation, there are several issues that taint it. For one, the arc revolves around multiple plot holes and contrivinces in order to work. I've already mentioned this several times but, Stolas and Blitz being childhood friends feels like a retcon and it doesn't really line up with any of their interactions in the first season, and this arc relies on the two's past friendship in order to work.

Further more, there's the fact that Stolas shoulden't even have any real love for Blitz in the first place considering that Blitz stole from him not once, but twice. First Blitz steals all of Stolas' items when they were kids for his dad by tricking him into a game and the second time Blitz takes advantage of Stolas again to Steal the grimoire. Did Stolas REALLY just...not realize that Blitz took advantage of him in either of those instances????

Why would he have ANY love towards him after he did those things? He should HATE Blitz for taking advantage of his feelings, but he doesn't. There's also the fact that this arc is just a complete replacement of Stolas' character in the first season, fully comitting to his sudden shift from a man who made mistakes that hurt others to a UwU gay sad soft boy who just wanted genuine affection, which is a jarring change for him as a character, and this arc competely relies on this sudden shift.

It removes everything that made Stolas an interesting character in the first season and replaces it with something unreconizable from his previous iteration, so this arc ends up feeling like an unnatural direction for Stolas' character to go to. The other big problem with this arc is how it codes Stolas' actions in a sympathetic light - as in, he only made the deal because he believed he had real affection with Blitz.

The thing is, this whole thing ends up making Stolas even less sympathetic than before. You'd think that Stolas would care about his childhood friend's consent in this matter because even if he thought that Blitz liked being his plaything he would still care about his boundries since well, he is supposed to be Stolas' childhood friend...right??? But instead of that he decided to put his childhood friend in a situation where he HAS to accept the deal or else he'll lose his job, and he's doing that through coersion, which is a horrific thing to do to someone especially someone you CLAIM to be your first ever friend.

None of Stolas and Blitzo's interactions in the first season come across as Stolas being oblivous to Blitz being uncomfortable rather it's Stolas not caring about Blitz being uncomfortable and not taking it seriously because he only cares about his own sexual pleasure. While Stolas' actions are still painted negetavily the show is using a sympathetic reason for his actions but that sympathetic reasoning doesn't end up working and if anything makes him look even less sympathetic than before. It's supposed to be "bad actions codded with sympathetic motivations" but it doesn't work because the actions he's done don't make sense with the motivation the show outlines.

And this brings me to the last, and, probably the biggest issue with Stolas' "growth arc" in Season 2; the show's refusal to admit the full extent of Stolas' what Stolas has done to Blitz. Season 1 had Stolas consistantly belittle and talk down to Blitz, ignoring his boundries and constantly dehumanizing him into just being his "impish little plaything", yet, the show pretends as if making the deal was the only bad thing Stolas ever did to Blitz and just ignores all the other stuff that he did in the first season.

It contributes to the problem of the show refusing to acknowledge Stolas' mistakes and instead choosing to downplay them or demonize those who dislike him for valid reasons (also, no, the description acknowledging Stolas' lack of self-awarness doesn't work because if Stolas is meant to be in the wrong during the episode than it should be frammed as such, yet the episode just frames him as solely the victim. That ain't good writting). And there's the fact that this arc would be rendered null anyway because well all know that Blitz and Stolas are going to get together anyway by the end of the show meaning that Stolas never had to let go of Blitz in the first place because then he'll get back to him.

So, overall, while this arc is fine in isolation, it falls apart due to it relying on too many plot holes and not actually having Stolas reconize the full extent of his mistakes, and so saying that the show is coddling Stolas is still a valid critique given that this arc is still codding his actions under a sympathetic light.

[lazycranberrydoodles]

english translation book 5 baby we are in the ‘people assuming kid form hua cheng is xie lian’s son’ era 🔥🔥🔥 / follow for more hualian silliness

[mcrcki]

Was that [JESSIE MEI LI]? Oh no no, that was just [SOPHE HATTER-PENDRAGON], a [CANON CHARACTER] from [HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE]. They are [TWENTY FIVE] years old, use [SHE/THEY], and [ARE] aware that they are not actually from Washington DC. Too bad they can’t stray from this city for long.

how long has your character been here

just over a full year !!

what is your character’s job

sophie owns and runs a flower shop. not so much selling arrangements, but more over a like, bulk shop for flowers? and some bouquets, but mostly like, you go in, there’s just buckets of flowers of different kinds for sale. they keep a small section of hats and some of the tailoring business because it gives them something to do in the slow hours, and they do really love sewing. their clothes do something have a tendency to become enchanted if she talks to them too much. (and they are known to just run their mouth. like she will just go off rambling and talking and just enchants things without meaning to. they may have gotten better at controlling their magic, sure, but they still can’t help themselves with the muttering. talking to herself like this calms them when they’re V Stressed. which is often considering their life.)

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom

biggest update here !! sophie is now being pulled from the end of the entire series, aka the end of house of many ways. they remember everything that happened in the first book/movie, from the mess with the djinns, all the way to getting morgan safely away from the lubbockin. they’re pretty stressed, considering everything that happened during the gala and now knowing what happened to morgan and their family in the last few years. they’d like to just ! have a break ! thanks sm !

has any magic affected your character

it had but! she’s good, she’s cool, the magic has worn off and they fully remember everything! not that they’re very happy about remembering the gala and all of that, they are relieved to finally remember their family and all that happened during her time in high norland. so now, they’re back and better than ever!!

any other information

okay so i’m going to link my previous intro / update posts here so that you can see a bit more of their vibe and who they are, since i am going to use most of this updated intro to explain what’s new and where they are at now that they are fully updated to the end of the series!! but pls understand that i love sophie hatter with every part of my soul and i would do anything for her. that’s the most important thing to know. oh and there’s no doubt in my mind that sophie is autistic which i will fight tooth and nail about howl and sophie being the adhd / autistic relationship dynamic

first and foremost, sophie will be using she/they pronouns. she doesn’t have a preference on one or the other fully, so she uses both. but right now it’s more so that strangers she prefers they, and people she knows/she is more comfortable with can use she/her.

before sophie died during the gala, the last thing they remembered from home was the ending of the first book/movie. they had helped defeat the witch of the waste, howl and calcifer’s curse had been broken and their heart restored, and sophie’s own curse was broken. since then, within the city, howl had remembered what happened in the year since that day, up until their son, morgan, was born. morgan is here in the city, living with howl at the moment. 

sophie has had mixed feelings about it originally, considering they do not remember what happened when she and morgan were turned into cats, the issues that happened with the djinns, etc. it’s been stressful to say the least, to raise a toddler who expects you to understand everything he needs when you don’t even remember having children, or being married. she’s glad he is safe, but she’s still working on the whole mothering aspect of this. 

now , with her memories restored however, they’re definitely less worried about the whole concept of raising a child. they remember morgan, remember him at this age and know how to handle some of his tantrums a little better. of course, having to manage a toddler who can conjure things on a whim is !!! not easy !!!! but she figures with all of their family here, as well as a better understand of her own powers, they should be fine. 

sophie is now also the high witch of ingary, a position appointed to them both off of being married to howl but also from their own merit with how powerful they have become as a witch. does this mean that they are not as frequently accidentally speaking spells into existence? yes. does it mean that they have stopped doing it completely? no not at all. i cannot even lie, the talking to herself has got to be a stim or something because they do it no matter what, and unfortunately, their magic is rooted in speaking things to life, so no matter how good she gets, that will always be there. they wouldn’t be sophie if they didn’t just accidentally enchant things every once in a while.  

okay but a quick overview of what happens in house of many ways (although everyone should go read the whole series, esp the first book, it’s incredible. the second book is DATED but the third saves it) ANYWAYS. sophie is called to high norland, a neighboring kingdom, to help with solving some money problems the king and princess are having, she goes ON HER OWN THANK YOU, because they were called, they can handle it on their own, and they very much were looking forward to the week or two of silence and relaxation away from the castle. they love their son and their family, but god do they need the space every once in a while. unfortunately, howl.. is howl. and soon after sophie arrives in the castle, in comes morgan, calcifer and twinkle (the picture perfect image of a child..... with a lisp.) charmain -- the main character of this book-- is so fucking confused as to why sophie looks like she is about to throttle twinkle the second he comes waltzing into the room. 

either way, the whole moving castle crew is now inside of the castle to solve the missing money situation! many things happen,,, all of it absolutely chaotic in the way only dwj can really explain. so imma just skip to the end of what is really going to be affecting sophie here in the city

morgan is threatened by some anonymous source, telling sophie specifically “stop your investigation, and leave high norland, or your child suffers” so ofc sophie and howl are on high alert, doing what they can to trick whoever sent the note and save morgan along with finish the investigation. 

many more shenanigans take place, the person who attacked sophie’s child ended up being a half human child of a lubbock (a monster in this realm that LAYS EGGS INSIDE OF PEOPLE TO HAVE HALF HUMAN CHILDREN TO TAKE OVER KINGDOMS-- AWFUL) but they screw up, and try to take twinkle instead, thinking that’s sophie’s child. eventually they can’t quite keep twinkle under control , and they go for morgan. 

sophie’s reaction is incredible, the only reason she didn’t take this guy out at the knees is because it’s a young ya novel. and howl had a plan. 

bUT. the lubbockin basically almost kills morgan (fully choking this two year old out to a point where he does pass out in his hand) but before he can fully kill him, howl teleports himself into morgan’s spot, and like mid choke hold, transforms back into a like grown adult man and just DECKS the guy, it’s incredible. sometimes you forget they are a rugby player from wales when they’re all wizard-y in their blue silk suits and shit. but he fully beats the lubbockin down until calcifer and him turn all the remaining lubbockins into rabbits lmao

either way, sophie is going to be pulled post fight there, when they all arrive back into the castle to make the journey back to ingary. their memories only go up until the castle door closes, so they’re gonna be having a time with this reunion on top of having to apologize a million different times to howl for everything over the past few months. 

they will not be taking responsibility for morgan knowing how to swear in two languages, that was unaware sophie, how were they supposed to know it was their kid.

either way, this is gonna be v much the same sophie we all know and love, except they’re a little older and little more confident in themselves.

connections :

✩ employees

she runs a flower shop, that does sell some clothing/hats on the side but it is mainly a bulk flower shop that will make arrangements for an extra fee.

it’s a very like ‘small business’ vibe kinda shop, so they treat their employees like family it’s a very nice place to work!!!

✩ friends

please she doesn’t have many ,, her best friends are literally a disaster man, her kids, and a fucking fire please come be their friend she would be the mom friend of your group and you cannot change my mind

would also actually love some legitimate mom friends

magical friends! please they’re so bad at controlling their magic, they just speak everything into existence.

✩ babysitter

doesn’t everyone wanna make a little extra cash?? especially when that charge would be a magical three year old with separation anxiety who definitely uses magic and speaks in welsh !!!

i promise they tip well

sophie would love a singular break for once so pls

[astrobei]

in my heart of hearts mike wheeler is absolutely an athena kid but i also have to offer up a concept that i think has extreme comedic and dramatic potential aka: repressed gay teenager mike showing up at camp half blood unsure of who his godly parent is and feeling insecure about not having powers and one day when he’s making not-so-secret heart eyes at his best friend and son of apollo will byers is when a bunch of glowing floating hearts show up above his head. and that’s how mike gets claimed by none other than aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexuality, and is in full denial about it for three days because he thinks it’s some kind of sick and twisted JOKE

(on aphrodite’s end, she’s upset mike is throwing away the gift of true love and keeps trying to trick him out of repression by making more and more improbable and hilarious gifts appear when he and will are hanging out. mike hands will a book and it turns into a box of chocolates and he has to fling it away like a frisbee before will sees it. they’re having lunch and romantic music starts playing. she gives mike the same blessing she used to claim piper and will can’t even look in his direction for a full day because he starts blushing so hard. fifty bouquets of flowers show up at the apollo cabin’s doorstep with a note that says love, mike and by the end of it, mike isn’t even repressed and unsure about his sexuality anymore — he’s just trying to not throw himself into the bonfire out of sheer embarrassment)

[funnylittleclown]

Reader Beware - You’re in for a Scare!

part two of my goosebumps collection 🦇

[puppyeared]

save me old flipnote studio MVs.......

[trees-to-meet-you]

Wait waitwaitwait I just saw something on Pinterest hold on

Was Snufkin deadass not aware he had parents??? Until Moominpappa was telling him about them??? Did he think he just spawned one day what

[cosmic-hoboandthehighlander]

I just wanna know if I’m just on the wrong side of the internet or if this is happening in every fandom, but are there other authors from fandoms who aren’t in the Harry Potter fandom mass deleting everything from their ao3 because of entitled shitheads who think they need to profit off free work?

Just checking if it’s specific to the dramione/HP fic (reader) community to sell fanfiction for a profit and treating fic like published novels they’re entitled to, fucking up fanfiction for the entirety of all fandoms everywhere. Curious if I need to be worried about mass purges of fics in the Hannibal and GO fandoms…

[brainrot-stitch]

Ough

[izzyspussy]

spike trying desperately to be buffy's sugar daddy except not requiring the sugar just because her shitty service job bums her out and he can't bear to see it

[dimension-20-every-introduction]

Everyone Introduced in Dimension 20′s Neverafter episode 1

[rainingincale]

.

[rubberbandballqueen]

favorite part of work today was when i told the kids to get into two lines, n this one guy was like "i don't want to" n then started talking to his buddy in mandarin, n so then in chinese i was like, "hey, come here."

n he n his buddy looked at each other n then looked at me with like that faintly displeased expression that means they've realized they can't get away with not being that good at english (or feel terribly isolated from n indifferent to the adults bc they don't speak their language) anymore

and then when i told them to line up in mandarin they groaned abt it for sure but they did drag themselves into a line

[darewolfcreates]

Pekomon evolution line :]

Older art under cut

Pekomon's evolution line didn't change too much since I made them in middleschool. they were my favorite digimon I designed as a lil kid so I did my best to keep things as close to their original design.

[grison-in-space]

Also if you think the angel Aziraphale has ever heard the song "Take Me to Church" without being consumed by enormous, contradictory, and incompatible feelings you have another think coming let me tell you that. Not sure he can figure out what they are, mind, but there are definitely little gears turning away in there.